pick
verb uk/pɪk/ us/pɪk/
(CHOOSE)
B1 [ T ]挑选;选择
to take some things and leave others
Pick a card from the pack. 从这纸牌中挑出一张。
One of my sisters has been picked for the Olympic team. 我的一个姐姐入选了奥运代表队。
[ + obj + to infinitive ] She was picked to play for the team. 她被选中代表该队参赛。
The police asked him if he could pick (out) the killer from a series of photos. 警察问他能否从一组照片中认出凶手。
The fairest way to decide the winner is to pick a name out of a hat/at random (= without looking or choosing). 决出优胜者最公平的办法是任意／随机选取一个名字。
They picked their way (= carefully chose a route) down the broken steps. 他们小心翼翼地走下断裂的台阶。
He's brilliant at picking winners (= choosing what will be successful). 他在判断谁能获胜方面很有眼力。
Compare: choose
pick and chooseoften disapproving 挑挑拣拣;精挑细选
to take some things but not others
The richest universities can pick and choose which students they take. 最有钱的大学可以对生源精挑细选。
- More examples
- I was never picked for the school football team.
- I asked him which pastry he wanted and he picked an almond croissant.
- I gave her a choice of several toys and she picked a doll.
- Of all the gorgeous clothes in the shop she picked a really plain grey sweater.
- Do you want to help me pick some numbers for my lottery ticket.
(REMOVE)
B1 [ I or T ]从…上剔除，从…摘下
to remove separate things or small pieces from something, especially with the fingers
I picked a piece of fluff off my shiny black suit. 我从闪闪发亮的黑色套装上拽掉一根绒毛。
The child continued picking (at) a sore on his leg (= trying to remove parts of it with his fingers). 那个孩子不停地抓挠他腿上的疮。
[ + obj + adj ] The carcass had been picked clean (= all the flesh had been removed) by other animals and birds. 动物尸体上的肉已被别的动物和鸟吃得干干净净。
disapproving He kept picking his nose (= removing mucus from it with his finger). 他在不停地掏鼻孔。
B1 [ T ]（从植物或树上）采，摘
When you pick flowers or fruit, you take them off a plant or tree.
They were picking strawberries for twelve hours a day. 他们每天摘12小时的草莓。
I picked some roses this morning. 今天早上我摘了一些玫瑰。
Machines pick the fruit (from/off the trees). 机器把果子（从树上）摘下来。
- More examples
- You ought to pick those lettuces before they shrivel and die.
- I tend to leave the windfalls for the birds to pick at.
- He thought we'd been picking his apples and came after us with a stick.
- She sat there sulking and picking the pills off her sweater.
- The fruit is picked and artificially ripened before shipping.
(PLAY INSTRUMENT)
[ T ]弹拨，弹奏（吉他等弦乐器）
When you pick a string on a guitar or similar instrument, you pull it quickly and release it suddenly with your fingers to produce a note.
Idioms
pick someone's brainsidiom UK (US pick someone's brain) 请教（某人）
to ask someone who knows a lot about a subject for information or their opinion
I was picking Simon's brains about which computer to buy. 我正请教西蒙该买哪种电脑。
pick someone's pocketidiom 从（某人）的口袋里偷东西;扒窃
to steal small objects, especially money, from someone's pockets or bag
See also: pickpocket noun
pick yourself up off the flooridiom 振作起来;重整旗鼓
to make improvements to your life after a bad period
pick a fight/quarrel/argumentidiom 寻衅，找茬
to start a fight/quarrel/argument with someone
He'd had too much to drink and tried to pick a fight with the bartender. 他酒喝得太多了，想找酒吧侍者的茬。
pick holes in somethingidiom disapproving 挑…的毛病，找…的漏洞;批评
to find mistakes in something someone has done or said, to show that it is not good or not correct
pick 'n' mixidiom UK 自己选配（指在商店里挑选多种小商品，尤指糖果）
a system in a shop where you can choose a few of several different small things, especially sweets
Phrasal verbs More phrasal verbs
pick at something （因没胃口或不高兴而）一点一点地吃，挑挑拣拣地吃
to eat only a small amount of your food, showing no interest or enjoyment while you eat it
Charles picked at his food in a bored fashion. 查尔斯吃饭挑挑拣拣的，一点胃口也没有。
See also: picky
pick someone/something off （有选择地）瞄准射中
to shoot at one particular person, animal, or vehicle that you have chosen from a group
The snipers picked the soldiers off one by one as they ran for cover. 士兵们慌忙走避时，狙击手们将他们逐个击毙。
UK挑选最佳的人选（或物件）
to take the best person or thing from a group
It is relatively easy for newcomers to pick off the most lucrative business and ignore the rest. 新来人员较易挑选最有利润的业务而忽略其他业务。
pick on someoneB2 找（某人）的茬;对（某人）刁难挑剔
to criticize, punish, or be unkind to the same person often and unfairly
He gets picked on by the other boys because he's so small. 他因为个子小受到其他男孩子的欺负。
pick someone/something out 辨认出，分辨出；认真挑选出
to recognize, find, or make a choice among different people or things in a group
Can you pick out the three deliberate mistakes in this paragraph? 你能找出这一段中3个故意犯的错误吗？
The critics picked him out as the outstanding male dancer of the decade. 评论家们把他评为10年来的杰出男舞蹈家。
强调;使突出;使显着
to choose and emphasize, make clearer, or highlight someone or something
The ship's name was picked out in bright gold letters along her stern. 在船的尾部，金色的船名清晰可见。
pick something out （缓慢或困难地）弹奏（乐器）
If you pick out a tune, you play it slowly or with difficulty, note by note.
I can pick out a simple tune on the piano, but that's about it. 我能用钢琴弹奏简单的曲调，但仅此而已。
pick over something 挑拣;甄选，精选
to look carefully at a group of things, choosing the ones you want or getting rid of the ones you do not want
All the clothes at the sale had been thoroughly picked over and there was nothing nice left. 所有削价销售的衣服都被别人仔细挑过了，没剩下什么好的了。
pick through something 在…中翻找，从…中挑拣出
to look at the things in a group and take only what you want
I had to pick through the rubbish to find my electricity bill. 我不得不在垃圾堆里翻找我的电费缴费单。
pick someone/something upA2 举起;抱起;提起
to lift someone or something using your hands
If she starts to cry, pick her up and give her a cuddle. 如果她哭了的话，把她抱起来搂一搂。
I picked up the kids' clothes that were lying on the floor. 我把地板上孩子们的衣服捡了起来。
I went to pick up the phone/receiver, but it had stopped ringing. 我去接电话，但已经不响了。
A2 接（某人）;取（某物）
to collect, or to go and get, someone or something
When you're in town could you pick up the books I ordered? 你进城时能帮我取一下我订购的书吗？
Whose turn is it to pick the children up after school? 该谁去接孩子放学了？
The crew of the sinking tanker were picked up (= saved from the sea) by helicopter. 即将沉没的油轮上的船员被直升机救了上来。
pick something upB2 （通过练习而）学会
to learn a new skill or language by practising it rather than being taught it
Don't bother with the computer manual - you'll pick it up as you go along. 别费神看计算机手册了——练练就会了。
When you live in a country you soon pick up the language. 如果你住在某个国家的话，很快就能学会该国的语言。
获悉;得知
to learn interesting or useful information from someone or something
The nurse had picked up the information from a conversation she overheard. 护士是从偶然听到的谈话中得知这一消息的。
（便宜地）买到
to buy something cheaply
She picked up some real bargains in the sale. 她在减价时买了几件非常便宜的东西。
赢得，获得（奖品、选票或支持）
to win or get a prize or something that gives you an advantage, such as votes or support
The People's Front expect to pick up a lot more votes in this year's elections. 人民阵线在今年大选中获得的选票有望大幅增加。
（电子设备）接收（信号）
(of a piece of electrical equipment) to receive a signal
Can you pick up (= receive broadcasts from) Moscow on your radio? 你的收音机能收到莫斯科的广播吗？
注意到;察觉;看到
to notice and react to something
Police dogs picked up the scent of the two men from clothes they had left behind. 警犬从那两名男子留下的衣服上闻出了他们的气味。
感染病毒;得了…病
to catch an illness from someone or something, caused by bacteria or a virus
He picked up malaria when he was visiting the country on business. 他到该国出差时染上了疟疾。
pick (something) up 重新开始，继续
to start something again after an interruption
The author picks the same theme up again on page ten. 作者在第10页又谈到同一主题。
Let's pick up where we left off yesterday. 我们接着昨天的话题谈下去吧。
pick someone up UK informal（警察）逮捕，拘捕
(of the police) to stop someone and take them to a police station in order to be questioned or arrested
He was picked up by the police for drug dealing. 他因贩毒被警察逮捕。
The police picked her up just outside Canterbury. 她在坎特伯雷城外不远处被警察抓住了。
informal勾搭（某人）;与（某人）调情
to start a sexual or romantic relationship with someone you do not know, by talking to that person and giving them a lot of attention
He said he'd picked the woman up in a bar. 他说他在酒吧勾搭上了那个女人。
pick up 增加；提高；改进
to increase or improve
The truck picked up speed slowly. 卡车慢慢加速。
The wind always picks up in the evening. 一到晚上，风就越刮越大。
The number of applicants will pick up during the autumn. 秋季应聘者的数量会增加。
His spirits picked up when he got the good news. 他听到那个好消息后情绪好转了。
Her career only began to pick up when she was in her forties. 她40多岁时事业才开始起步。
接电话
to answer the phone
I tried his home number but he didn't pick up. 我拨打他家里电话，但他没接。
pick someone up on something 在…上挑（某人）毛病，指出（某人）在…方面的错误
to criticize someone about something they have said
"I want to pick you up on the point you made a few minutes ago about personal morality, Archbishop." “大主教，我对您刚才有关个人道德的观点有不同的意见。”
His teacher picked him up on his pronunciation. 他的老师指出了他的发音错误。
pick up on something 重新回到，继续（某一话题）
to start talking again about something that someone said previously
Can I just pick up on your first point again, please? 我能继续探讨你的第一个论点吗？
注意到（他人未注意到的事物）
to notice something that other people have not noticed
Only one newspaper picked up on the contradictions in the statement. 只有一家报纸注意到了声明中的矛盾之处。
pick
noun uk/pɪk/ us/pɪk/
(CHOICE)
[ U ]挑选;选择
choice
You can have first pick of the desserts. 你可以头一个挑选甜点。
have your pick 可以挑选;任意挑选
to have a large choice available
The plane was fairly empty so we had our pick of seats. 飞机很空，所以我们可以自由选择座位。
take your pick 挑选，选择
to choose the one(s) you want from the different types available
The shirts come in five different colours - just take your pick. 这种衬衣有5种不同的颜色——你随便挑吧。
(TOOL)
[ C ]镐;鹤嘴锄（同 pickaxe）
a pickaxe
picks and shovels 镐和铲
[ C ]牙签
especially in combinations, a sharp pointed tool
a toothpick 牙签
(IN MUSIC)
[ C ]（弹弦乐器用的）拨子，琴拨
a small, thin piece of plastic, metal, etc. that isheld between the fingers and thumb and usedfor playing instruments such as the guitar
Synonym: plectrum
Idiom
the pick of somethingidiom (also the pick of the bunch) （…的）精华；最好的东西；出类拔萃者
the best of a group of people or things
The pick of this year's three-year-old racehorses is Galileo. 今年3岁大的赛马中最棒的是加利莱奥。
There were lots of very amusing entries, but the pick of the bunch came from John Robinson. 有许多非常有趣的参赛作品，但最好的还是约翰‧鲁宾逊的。